Mineral separator and classifier.



L. B. SKINNER. MINERAL SEPARATOR AND CLASSIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1912. I

Patented Mar.4,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET1.

T am .M. AMP 7 1m 0i 0 3 1 fi a fl a m w a 1 m I m W WITNESSES: M

ATTORNEY APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1912.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

VITA? 1 A TTORNE Y I materialin the sorting columns.

' LEWIS B. SKINNER, 01 DENVER, COLORADO.

MINERAL SEPARATOR AND CLASSIFIER.

Z'o all whom it may Comm.-

I Be. it known that I, LEWIS B. SKINriER, of

Denver, in the State of Colorado, have in-i vented certain new anduseful Improvements'in Mineral Separators and Classifiers,

of which the following is a specification. 'My invention relates toseparators and classifiers in which a-s'eries of screens is employed incombination with a constant how of water under pressure; and the objectsof myimprovements are, first to make a very efiicient apparatus; second,to employ inclined screens in combination with an upward continuous'fiowf water through the screens; third, to provide means whereby theapparatus is constantly shaken horizontally fourth, to provide means forregulat- 1 ,ing the how of water and regulating the movement of the'material through the apparatus; fifth, to make a simple, cheap anddurable construction and td provide other features to become apparentfrom the de- .scription to follow. 1

In prior classifiers, a pulsating force is generally applied practicallyvertically by Ineansof pulsatingwater in an attempt to keep the embedfree and to disentangle the a Experiment has proven to me that a shakingmogoution applied horizontally would more suitfably maintain the era incondition to be acted upon by aiding materially inpropulsion andthatdisentanglement in the sorting columnwould be more pronounced bysidewise reciprocating impulses than by vertical impulses. The result ofmuch study and experiment by-me along this line is the evolution of aclassifier of the following description which ispresented as the subjectof this application for Letters Patent therefor. I found that muchtrouble might be elimin at ed by ;theuse of a screen sloping from thefeedlendto thelast compartment of the apparatus instead.v of by the useof .1 screen 45,..which is substantially horizontal as hereto- .--fore.u sed with vertically pulsating Water.

w 5 5 ,Further experience with this altered classi- ,filier convinced methat still greater improvement was, possible provlded the diii'erent5'i:'orces acting. inthe classifier could be brought under separatemeans. of control n and each-made to do.i ts workindependentlyLQftllQOtlN-EPS; some form of vibratory motion. is certainly desirable,but in order to. be 55,-m'ost efficient gitv should; actas a; separatetome. and not; as a quality of the hydraulic Specification of LettersPatent.

- Application fild May 15, 1912. Serial No. 697,419.

Patented Mar. a, third.

I water. The idea of the shaking classifier then suggested itself. Inthis a reciprocatory motion imparted to the classifier box would act asa disentangling and transportation force when used in connection with aninclined screen, while non-pulsating hydraulic water could furnish thenecessary sorting column water.

My improved classifier comprises a box,

adapted to be shaken longitudinally, which is divided into a series ofvertical compartments and which has an inclined screen placed betweenthe compartments and their corresponding hutches placed directly belowthe compartments. TllL inclination of the screen may be all in one planefrom-the feed end to the last compartment, or the inclination may bechanged at the various compartments. Hydraulic water without pulsationsis introduced into the hutches, the velocity being regulated suitablyfor each compartment. The screenis preferably a miniature grizzly madeof thin spring brass bars spaced apart, but may be any sort of aperforated surface.

To describe my invention so that others versed in the art-to which itpertains can make and use the same, I have illustrated it on theaccompanying two sheets of drawings forming a part of thisspecification, in

which- I Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention;Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 isa similar view taken on line 33 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a similar viewshowing a modified forum.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The device comprises a rectangular box provided with seven uppercompartments 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11; six hutches 12, 13, 14:, 15, 16and 17 directly below the upper compartments; and a series of sixreceiving eon'ipartments 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 arranged beside thefirst named compartments. An inclined screen,24 forms the only" separating partition between the upper compartments and the lower hutches,which are arranged to register one above the other, there being no lowerhutch to register with compartment 5 which is the receiving comtill wit)

down to the screen 24 thus forming an opening 31 between every twocompartments through which the material to be separated passes.

Each of the lower hutches is provided with an inlet pipe for water underpressure and with an inlet pipe 33 in its bottom for the removal of anymaterial which may settle therein. The six side compartments 18 to 23inclusive are arranged directly opposite each of the upper compartments6 to 11 inclusive and the wall 34 which separates them is provided withsix openings 35 forming communications between the six uppercompartments and the six side compartments. A vertically sliding gate 36may be provided to close each opening 35 and has a smaller hole 37thcrethrough so that the opening actually forming communication betweenthe upper compartments and the side compartments can be shifted to ahigher or lower level if desired, or rigidly fixed discharge holes maybe used having arrangements such as gate valves (not shown) to increaseor diminish the area of discharge.

Each side compartment 18 to 23 inclusive is provided with a dischargepipe 38 at the bottom for taking oil the material which discharges toeach of said side compartments. At the bottom of -the last uppercompartment 11, two pipe openings 39 and 40 are provided, one at ahigher level than the other, thelower for taking oil the material whichsettles to the screen in said compartment and the upper for admission ofadditional water which may be used to introduce water above the screen.

It is understood that i do not confine my self to the use of sixcompartments, a lesser or greater number may be used, and it is furtherunderstood that it is not essential to have side discharge compartments18, 19, Q0, 21, 22 and 23. Pipe connections or other suitablearrangements not shown) may be used to definitely regulate the diilcrentsorting column vehieitics as opposed to the prac' tice heretofore used,in a supporting s reen classifier, of having overflow areas so largethat there would be no reasonable restriction of the velocity oi thewater which might flow to the discharge of any one compartment.

The whole apparatus is supported so that it is free to move from left toright and vice versa as viewed in the drawings, as by suspension rodsll, and is connected by. rod 42 to an eccentric 43 on shaft it which isconstantly rotated by any suitable power.

in oporatior the ore or pulverized material is gradually led intocompartment 5;

the watcrunder pressure is admitted through the feed pipes Eli and isregulated by suitable valves to flow in to the hutchcs in greater orlesser quantities as desired. The water F thus admitted passes upwardthrough the screen 24 into the registering compartments above. and fromthence flows by graylty through the several gate openings 37 into theregistering side compartments 18 to 23 inclusive, from whence it flowsthrough discharge openings 38. The shaft 44 is rotated which transmits ashaking motion to the box comprising the compartments and hutches, andthe material from 'compartment 5 feeds by force of gravity down theinclined screen 24 and through opening 31 un r partition 25; some of thematerial will pass upward with the flow of water through the gateopening 37 and be delivered to the side compartment 18; some willgravitate down through the screen 24 against the upward flow of waterand settle in hutch 12, and some will pass downward on the inclinedscreen 24 through the opening 31 under partition 26 and into the thirdupper compartment 7 where another separation .or

classification takes place, some of the material being carried up withthe stronger flow of water and be delivered to the side compartment19,some again gravitating through the supporting screen and settlingdown in the hutch '13, while some continues to gravitate along theinclined screen 24, through the opening 31 under partition 27 intoconipartment 8 where another separation or classification takes place bymeans of the still stronger upward flow of water which will cause somematerial to be deposited in the side compartment 20; some to bedeposited in the hutch 14; and some to pass on into compartment 9 wherestill another separation or classification takes place; and thus the oreor material passes along through the whole system of compartments untilthe heaviest and largest particles are either removed at the opening 40or else are affected by a. sullicicntl y great hydraulic and sortingcolumn velocity at compartment 1.1 to cause entire flotation. v

The dotted lines 46 across the upper ends of compartments 5 to 11inclusive (in Fig. 3) indicate the approximate level of water in eachcompartment; the water level in the first or high end compartments willnot necessarily be lower than the water level in the tail or low endcompartments, but I find this to be of advantage in holding back thematerial in the preceding compartment. Such water levels will varyaccording to the variance in the upward flow of water.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a modified form of the device in which thescreens 47, v

tail end screen being on the least incline. It is calculated that thisarrangement of inclining the screens will facilitate the .work and moreevenly distribute the work of separating and classifying over the entirescreen surface. 7

What I claim is- 1. In a device of the class described, a series ofcompartments separated by vertical partitions terminating a shortdistance above the bottom of the compartments forming communicatingopenings between the compartments, a series of hutches arranged inregistering positions below the said compartments, inclined screensforming the bot toms of the compartments and the tops of the hutches,water supply pipes connectedto the hutches whereby an upward flow ofwater is passed through said screens, and means for shaking the saidcompartments and hutches approximately horizontally.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with ahorizontal succession of vertically-elongated flexibly-supportedchambers each provided near the bottom with an inlet for the admissionof mingled water and solid substances, a water and solids outlet at ahigher level than said water and solids inlet, and a water inletat alower level than said Water and solids inlet; said chambers beingadapted to deliver through said water and solids outlet the heaviergrades of material from one to another throughout their succession; ofa-screen in the lower part of each of said chambers at a higher levelthan said water inlet; a tubular, connection of said water inlet with asource of water under pressure; and mechanism for producing a horizontalshaking movement of said chambers.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with alongitudinal series of vertically-elongated flexibly-supported chambersseparated by intervening partitions and adapted to deliver theirheaviergrades of material from one'to another past the said interveningpartitions, each chamber provided with an inlet near its bottom for theadmission of mingled water and solid substances, a Water and solidsoutlet at a higherlevel than said inlet, an inclined screen in thelower,part just below the inlet, a Wa ler inlet beneath said screencommunicating with a source of Water under pressure, and mechanism forproducing a horizontal shaking movement of said chambers.

4. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination with a longitudinal series of verticallyelongatedflexibly-supported chambers separated by intervening partitions andadapted todeliver their heavier grades of material from one to anotherpast the said intervening partitions, each chamber provided with aninlet near its bottom through the intervening partitions for theadmission of mingled water and solid substances, a water and solidsoutlet at a higher level than said inlet, means for adjusting therelative distances of said Water and solids outlets from said inlets,means for regulating the amount of water. and solids discharged, aninclined screen in the lower part of each of said chambers, a waterinlet beneath said screens co'mmunicating with a source of Water underpressure, and mechanism for producing a horizontal shaking movement ofsaid chambers.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with alongitudinal series of vertically-elongated flexibly-supported chambersseparated by intervening partitionsand adapted to deliver their heaviergrades of material from one to another past the said interveningpartitions, each of said chambers provided with an inlet near its bottomthrough the intervening partition I the admission of mingled water andsolid Sti ta-noes, awater and solids outlet at a 1551' level than saidinlet, means for adjusting the relative distances of said outlets fromsaid inlets, means for regulating the amount of water and solidsdischarged, an inclined screen in the lower part of each compartmentbelow the inlet, a hutch below the screen of each compartment, means forthe draining from the hutch of any sediment from the water supply or anysolids whichmay drop through the screen, a water inlet beneath eachscreen communicating with a source of Water pressure, and mecha- 1 nismfor producing a horizontal shaking movement of said chambers.

6. In a device of the class described, a succession of compartmentshavingv openings through their vertical partitions at the plane of thebottom of said compartments, a screen arranged below said compartmentsand forming the bot-tom thereof, a hutch beneath said screen, means forproducing a continuous flow of water to-the hutch, a flexible supportfor said compartment device as a Whole, and means for communicating asubstantially horizontal reciprocating -movement to the same.

LEWIS B. SKINNER.

Witnesses 1 H. E. LYNDES, A. B. DAVIS.

